


Slow Dancing (In A Burning Room)

by atypical



Category: Amar a Muerte (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-26 07:32:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18177716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atypical/pseuds/atypical
Summary: Pretty things, beautiful things and perfect things.And then there's Juliana, who is somehowwayabove everything she's ever known.Or the other ways Valentina says "te amo." without really saying it and the one time she actually does.





	Slow Dancing (In A Burning Room)

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time writing for this fandom. i'm hella scared because i may not justify their love enough. but anyway, i do hope you like this one. i tried to add basic spanish words because those are literally all i know. 
> 
> thank you for reading :)
> 
>  
> 
> (kudos if you got the penguin reference.)

Valentina's not certain when this whole thing changed for her but she knows who's responsible for it.

There are pretty things, Valentina figured. The flowers, the dress that was made especially for her, or the leaf figure on her cup of coffee that Juliana took at least an hour to make.

"Te gusta?" Juliana asked, eyes bright and smiling like a little kid. This must be her fifth attempt, maybe more by the looks of the kitchen. She finds herself staring at the girl who's got her hair in a messy bun but still managed to look effortlessly beautiful. She would’ve took a little more time to admire Juliana but her hopeful eyes snapped her out if it.

"Sí- sí. This is lovely. I see we've found you another talent." She replies wholeheartedly, making Juliana smile even more.

"Take a sip."

"But I don't wanna ruin your art."

"Thank you but we can't let that coffee go to waste...or these seven other cups." The brown eyed girl says bashfully.

"Alright then, well let me take a photo first." Valentina says and she takes her camera.

The shutter clicks and she reviews her shot. It doesn't really resemble a leaf, much like random zebra stripes but Juliana made it and it couldn't be any more perfect.

She knows that even years from now, she'll still cherish it.

Juliana wraps an arm to her waist, pulling her closer.

"On a second thought, I think drinking all this coffee might give us a heart attack." She chuckles.

And of course, Valentina freezes, not quite sure how to act like these small gestures doesn't affect her.

Te amo, she means to say but it comes out as "gracias" and a soft peck on Juliana's cheek.

~

There are beautiful things too, she muses again, like her favorite beach where she took Juliana one time, and the girl couldn't stop talking about how Valentina has the ocean in her eyes.

It starts like this. The compliments, the friendly flirting (if there is such a thing), and the blurring of the lines between friends and well, more than friends. But Valentina believes she's overthinking whatever this is. Maybe this is just how Juliana is and she isn't really anyone special.

_Little does she know._

"You know when you say things like this, I can't help but think you're in love with me or something." Valentina carelessly lets the words slip out of her mouth. It's a bold statement and she really didn't mean to say it out loud. Juliana grins but then Valentina's attention was caught by a smooth little rock that sorts of resembles a heart laying on the sand.

"I only say things that I find true."

Valentina halts to pick it up, inspects it for a second then keeps the rock from Juls' sight and hides it in her pocket.

"What was that?"

"A rock."

"What do you plan to do with it?"

"What do you know about penguins?" Valentina asks, out of the blue.

"That they're cute?"

"Sí, they are cute." The blue eyed girl agrees.

"What are you trying to tell me?" Juliana tilts her head and stops walking.

"Close your eyes."

"Por qué?"

"Do you trust me?" Juliana does so but not without a cheeky grin on her face. When Valentina asks her to hold out her right hand, Juliana doesn't hesistate. Valentina takes out the rock from her pocket and gives it to Juliana. The girl feels the smooth surface of it and starts to open her eyes.

"I'm confused but thank you. I'll keep this forever." She says.

"Perhaps one day you'll know?"

"Well why don't you tell me now?" Juliana says with a challenging stare.

And she really shouldn't- not yet. Not now.

She means to say "te amo" but it comes out like this:

"We should get going. I'm getting cold." She replies instead and Juliana doesn't say anything more. She takes Valentina's hands and blows warm air into it, tells her it’s something she learned from the movies.

 _There'll be things I won't tell her._ Valentina ponders.

_Oh how I'll regret them someday._

~

_Pretty things, beautiful things and perfect things._

And then there's Juliana, who is somehow _way_ above everything she's ever known. She's the only person who knows her best, the only person who can make her smile even in her darkest days. She's selfless and kind and perfect and Valentina might run out of words to describe her but that's okay.

She knows there isn't the perfect word in existence to describe her complexity.

One of her favorite things in this world was when she laid down on the grass with Juliana, watching the sun slowly disappear at the horizon. She loves seeing the sunset because when the soft light settles in her eyes, dark browns suddenly filling with more light, golden honey streaks emphasized, she forgets what breathing feels like.

This must be how artists feel, she reckons. The endless frustration that they have when their brushes fail to capture a masterpiece.

"It's nice to get away from everything else for a little while." Juliana says.

"I'm always here whenever you need me."

"I know that. Thank you for this."

Valentina notices the shift in Juliana's voice. Tears start to come down from Juliana's eyes no matter how hard she tried not to. Valentina rushes to wipe them.

"It's okay. I'm here."

"Do you want to talk about it?" She continues.

"No. Anything that involves my father isn't worth anything."

Valentina feels the pain in Juliana's heart. It shouldn't be like this. It's things like this that sparks resentment from her. How come all the good people in this world rarely get what they deserve?

"You deserve better than this Juliana. I hope you know that." Valentina envelopes her in a warm embrace, hoping the other girl gets the message.

"Having you here with me, I think- I think it's more than what I deserve."

"Mírame, Juls, you deserve all the good things this world has to offer. You really do. If I have to get all the stars out there for you if it meant that I can make you smile then I would in a heartbeat." She pauses, gathering her breath.

"Juls," She starts softly. "I'm saying all these things because you deserve to realize that you're the kind of person that's just worth it without questions asked."

Juliana smiles genuinely and burrows her head at the crook of Valentina's neck. Valentina can still feel the tears on her skin but she doesn't mind. She caresses Juliana’s hair, trying her best to calm the girl down.

Juliana starts to say something incoherent.

"Qué?" Valentina asks.

"I said, I must have done something right to deserve you." Valentina feels something build inside her, the kind of feeling that makes her heart beat grow rapidly in seconds, the kind that she feels on her fingertips, the kind that only Juliana can rouse from her. It's like electricity.

In another world, the universe where they're each other's, she would've said the things she's dying to say.

But this isn't that world and those two words can ruin anything so instead she utters this:

"You have it wrong. What did _I_ do to deserve you."

~

_They're dancing._

They're dancing but this time, there isn't anyone else. It's just them in Valentina's room. The blue eyed girl promised that she's better at dancing now.

_They're dancing and the world cease to exist._

__

Valentina isn’t really a big believer in soulmates or destinies or whatever hopeless romantic people call it these days. But when Juliana walked into her life like she always belonged there, it took down her wall of doubts. She didn’t choose to love her. It just happened, all without her knowing.

People say that we will all meet that one person who’s unlike any other. One you’re instantly drawn to and you don’t even have the words to explain it but you just have the urge to keep them with you for forever if you must.

She looks at Juliana and knows that she fits all those things.

Juliana came to Valentina’s life and even though it’s a mess, she still chooses her every chance she gets. She came just at the right time and made her question everything she knew before. Juliana has made such a mark that Valentina cannot remember a life without her.

They're spinning and Juliana looks like she came straight out of a magazine. How it’s even possible, Valentina will never know but she doesn’t dare question a work of art.

“You’re so quiet. Is there something on my face?”

“N-nothing. Just wondering.”

“About what?”

“It’s a silly thought.”

“Well, tell me anyway.” She chuckles lightly.

"Do you believe in soulmates?”

“Hmm. I think I do.”

“You do?”

“I do believe that there’s something greater than all of this. That everything has its reason and that destiny is real.”

“Why do you think so?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. I moved to this town with my mom, with very little to our names and not knowing anyone else. And then I saw you and you were crying and I thought who would dare to make a beautiful girl cry. And when I say beautiful, I still think it’s an understatement. Our paths crossed and nothing’s ever the same then. Everything that happens from here on is because you came back and asked me for a cup of coffee.” she pauses to tuck the strand of hair in Valentina’s face. “And I wouldn’t know where I’ll be if I hadn’t said yes.”

Juliana doesn’t break the eye contact. “So I do. I believe in soulmates.”

“Do you?”

Valentina couldn’t help but smile. “When you put it like that, I do.”

“So am I your soulmate then?”

Before Valentina can respond, the songs stops and a slower song started to play instead. Valentina could've spent forever admiring Juliana in a sweatshirt that's too big for her. But somehow she finds the courage to ask her one thing.

"Dance to this with me." Except it doesn’t come out as a question. Juliana raises her eyebrows but takes her hand. Perhaps this is the storm before the calm, a disaster waiting to happen and she’s right in the middle of it.

Valentina wonders whether she’ll ever survive. But if this is all she gets, then maybe it’s enough. (She knows in her heart it’ll never be.)

She rests her hand on Juliana's hips just like how she taught her and she doesn't count the steps out loud anymore. Juliana glances at her and finds that Valentina is paying more attention to the floor.

"You're not getting it quite right."

"Am I doing something wrong, I swear I practiced to this song like million times-"

"No Val, you're perfect." Juliana rushes to ease the girl.

"You're just forgetting one tiny thing." She teases then places her hand on Valentina's chin, slowly moving her head slightly to make their eyes meet.

And this is how it starts. They both feel the weight of unsaid things on their chest. The very brave and confident Valentina loses her cool and Juliana’s not even doing anything except staring at her.

There are certain things about this universe.

 _One,_ she has fallen in love.

 _Two,_ Juliana’s just as beautiful as the first time she saw her.

 _Three,_ her heart is aching, filled with wanting and longing to have the girl she had loved in secret.

 _Four,_ this room could be burning but they’re dancing and oh, this might actually be the perfect time to kiss her.

And then there’s number _five_ where she knows too well that there lines she shouldn’t cross.

But maybe Juliana’s trying to tell her something too when she asked that question. And maybe Valentina doesn’t want to regret something in the future if she doesn’t say anything. Valentina throws all her reservations in the air and made the risk. She leans closer and Juliana doesn’t move. She lets her lips hover, feeling the warmth of Valentina’s breath. There’s a silent question that hangs in the air. She thinks that she has always known. Her face is so close to Valentina’s that she could smell the wine they had earlier and then suddenly Valentina presses her lips are on hers and it takes her by surprise. It’s soft and it sparks something entirely different in them. It’s as if their lighting each other’s souls on fire. And it’s so familiar, that maybe they have kissed just like how every other version of their souls did lifetimes ago. Juliana kisses her back, and she’s in seventh heaven.

“Te amo.” She declares for the first time.

“Yo también te amo.”

It’s the truth. It’s straightforward.

It doesn’t sound like anything else.


End file.
